Stage setting



A. R. FREDERlcKs 1,772,661 i Aug. 12, 1930.

STAGE SETTING Filed Sept. 10, 1928 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 f ....,..1. :13111. .7420.22.55 4 fr 4.: F sii:. ::=:::.=:.:::z...

tically disposed, and u tween the members 28 and 29 and tlierstandard ,25 directly extends through this rin Thelconstruction-of thev ringis` more clear y shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, wberesit will be seen that the ring 30 is provided with a biting edge 31 adapted to impinge against one side of the standard 25andyto be lieldff in this position by a spring) 32 fastened to a gzmanent support 33"held y the 'cross-ineinrr'ffllhefring '30 andthe spring v32 are,

connected by'za` suitable ,link 33 which "link may be actuated by la lever 34 to releve the tensioni* of V"spring 32,V :and to: permit the eltlnit yto move down along the-standard;` 1t being understood that the formation o thavxgrip'ring'tl issuch -as to permit'fie'e mbvemet Vof the Ipanelunit upwardly along the standard `when the .y unit islited: The

o! thezpanelsbyaxpivot bracket Its'free end carries''accable` v36 whichis rove around lleyatgthe centerlof the'cross-bearn 27. T isi'c'able* extends upwardly over a pulley 38 carried'by the carriage frame members 22 andis then `lead downwardly into` the tubular standard 25 where it engagesa counterweight This weight "substantially equals the weight'of the 'paneliunit 24"? and-'will coun# terbalance the same. VfAcable 40 `is secured to'the lowerend of the counterweight and entends downwardly .'through 'a Vcap 41 mouhtdoxr'the bottom off the standard 25.u rnbberfblock 42 is supported at thebottom andlof the standard bythe cap and will act tqr Ovide aresilierit: stop .forthe counterweight 39 vif this weight should become discdnnected` -from the cable 36; `The free `end of'tlie cable 40 is secured to a free endV of thev elutchflever 34 so thatthe lever maybe maulated'to 'release the ringV 30 .and .to permthefpsml to fall-as resisted by the counterlweightil f rs ordertofresiliently support the panel ubit und t` preventexcessive shock being dei e liereiftof it, springs/i3Y are secured to the upwardlyfextendin lengtli'fof 'the cable 36 tdengagefthe crosseam 27st opposite sides fits Centrale :vertical "axis,` `This will tendV tofstadyth*cross-beamandto prevent ung' due strain l on 'the clutch mechanism;

and z29 'oft eimnelrross-beani 271are c urf tain hanging rods 44.1111117115', as clearly shown diEerent'cbrtains on the one panel unity so' thattlris unitmay be reversed too'btan an Y uponV the rodsf44s and'45.

or after the'mainfhingmgs llahaevbeezi re'.A

e u ,y no

entirely different result, if desired. It is preferable that the curtains be provided with rings or hooks as indicated at 46, so that they may be readily detached from the rod and moved therealong. It may be'desirable to make therdrop in one width, or if preferred ift may be made in a plurality of sec- Y tions, as, for example, shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, where it 4is in two sections, separated Lto provide an opening 'through' k'the panel unit for thel urpose of accommodating door or window Frames, or separate scenic sets. m

. A..IIangers47 are ,carried upon the side frame members 28 and 29 of the cross-beam 27, and may receive supplemental' scenic units' 48 whicblmary be disclosed by shovingthe main curtainpanes 49m 50to one end oropposite endso the cross-beam 27.,

After the set has been installed, as

cated inftlie`l drawing', by permanently securf ingthe box-7 derto thearch, landA after the ave been mounted on the track-l way Tof the girders,l vthe stage setting may then'beoperatedlt'r l `Attelihtions directed to the fact that inthe present-instanc`e the overheadtrackway is permanntlyxed, as this is in contradistinction to deviceshaving trackways which requirefvertical adjustmentto raise and lower carriages V22 the panels.1 "It isf'alsdto be understood that aplu'ralityfof carriagesf22fwith their asso-v ciated panel units 26 may be mountedV upon the; said trackwa' and in' any event these units will "be' capable 4of independent movement withf relatlon tol each other. The panel unit may now be lowered rby pulling onlthejcord 40A to'swing the lever34 and to?` release the clutchring' 30 from engage= mentltvith `the `standard 25.V Thiswill r-i mitthepanell to'be' lowered as 'it overco L es the? inertia f the counterweiglit39 lwhich is disposed within' the :standard '25; After the unit has been' loweredany desired arrange: mentof'curtainsior' hangin 'maybe placed i jeee may b-so arrangedas'to providefwvwitig of solid eolb orto "carry a :panel havi11g"-.icm.e scenicY dey sign thereon. At this time the su plemental panel may be mountd upon t e hangers 47` lso"that rapid flnaniphlation ofv the" outr panels twill permit the supplemental panels to be `used Veither 'inf conjunctiontherwtl'r nievedlmmftliersds. rfi" f l "'Afparticular adaptation oftlie presentfln'? vntqn is' 'shown iw Fig. @5 where Yit `fvvllif 'bei seen that themain 'hangings 49 areseparatd to disclose a sene'painoeu amonthe smp'plfe-v mental 1hangng`t8=`ft` will; orcoarsqglbe evidentthatthefhangiwgs 48 and @maybe completely removed, in which instance l an dpenin'gjwill be lformedthrdugh the set: i l after :tha` piloper'rcartai'njs,sreensxnr pan els azie/mounted- Iupon'vthe sdesiuffthe cresci i Maasai:

release of the pull on cord' 40y occurs, the

clutch ring 30 will biteintoftheside of the standard 25 andA will'lioldfthe panel vinthis vertically adjustedposition.` It isjthen pos,-4

sible to move the assembledpanelunit across the stage on the carriage 22 by pulling on the operating rope `l9fwhich will [shift lthe panelin either direction.. As-here shown, the rope 19 extends downwardly through the outer ends of the cross-beam 27 lof the panel to be concealed bythe panel withthe surplus Y amount of rope lyingfupon the floor.;-` 1 W ith t in either direction `horizontally as indicated the rope' in this position itis possibleto use it to manipulate ythe cross-beam 27piandffto rotate this beam in a vhorizontal plane around the vertical axis defined` bythe standard 25@ In this manner the panel unit may befmoved by the arrow a in 4, Y,

It will also be evident that'when it isidesired to rapidlyvreversethepanel to trans-y form the set that a"completehalfv horizontal rotation of the panel may be ellected to present the' `curtain 50 or theilanging 48 to view.

It will thus befseen that by thev construe` tion here provided litis possi bletoprovide` `a stage setting whichvma-y be: permanently installed on a stage Without the necessity 'fort skilled labor and which, when installed', may

be easily operated without the use of heavy and dangerous counterweights or 'theA use of complicated rigging to lift or kshift the va-` rious elements of rthe structure, and it will further be noted thatr by theopei'atinginech` anism here disclosed, the panel may beentirely manipulated at the panel ,withoutref quiring that at least one operator shall be stationed at one side ,lof thel stage tooperate` Y a lifting or shifting rig'. I

IVhile I have shownfthe preferred 'form of" my invention as now known yto me, it will be understoodthatrvarious'changes may be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of' parts Lby those skilled in the art, Without departing.fromthespirit ofthe invention as claimed y ,c ,y t i Having thusdescribedmy invention, lwhat I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Pat'- entisz-V l V l.` A stage setting comprising a box girder extending transversely ofthe stage and being `permanently ixedyadjacent the proscen'ium arch, a-trackway carried byvsaidjgirder, a carriage having rollers mounted onthe trackway and upon which the'carriage'may'roll back and forth across thestage, a panel unit dependent from said carriage anda ieXible ioperating member secured by its ends to opj cause Qthjef Jcarniage,to

c cause t j i, ,riiagefto ,mttrefftowardfthatzend offtheflxible'qperatng memben and a @pull uponfythe .Opposite ,Side Qfith'eiloop .Will-cause it nto;morel toward: fthe Oppesfteendaof the flexibleopsliatngnmemberS-f i l f 'f 2 Astagejsettingi conmHsingfabfmginler itendiiigtransversely-of thestage' andV being i permanently: fixed t adjacent ft'he'i: proscenium carriage havingrol-lrs mountedonf-the track-H Way and-` upon which fthe carriageway roll back and L forth Aacross fthe-stages a panel unit dependent fromsaidfcarriagefeand sa iexible operatingfmember secu-redfrbyfitscends tonpdownwardly @between maints 101i ftheiarrage- Wherebyfafpullron .o e sid-eef saidzloopjwll of `fthe flexible operating' #member-ganda- ..IPOnftheiopposite sideoftheiloopRwilLcause;

pit, to movetowardi the voppositeand Eof, the; flexible; operating f ,member l`,.and @means felis-.

posed! adjacent ,thejypanel ff the sta.ge. g Y

3. yA stage eet-tingA ililnrisiingif bes; gijrff'er extendingftransveiisely.-ofqthe; stage andgbeing permanently l :fixed adj aeent f the fproscenium,

inlove toward :that ,end4

,pullr arch,aftrackwayfcarrled byfsaglfgirde, a cai` v riav e having rollers mounted on the trackway an upon which the carriage may roll back p and forth across the stage, a panel unit 'def4 pendent from said carriage and a flexible operatingl member secured Vby, its ends to opposite endsof the trackway and being looped downwardly between points on the carria e Wherebiylra pull on one side of said loop will of the flexible operatingzmember and a pull upon'the opposite side of the loop willcause -ity to movevtoward the opposite end of the lll'exible operating member, means disposed adjacent the panel for verticallyadjusting the fsame 4with relation to thefioor ofthe stage j anda grip member by which the panel may be held` in'k its vertically adjusted position While `permitting rotation of thepanel around thel -jvertical axis thereof. l

4. A stage setting comprising a panel unit Y includinga cross-beam, screens hung there-v from, ya standard secured adjacent the grid of the stage andextending vertically to re` s ceive the cross-beam, a counterweight mounted within the standard, a cable secured to the upper end of the counterweight by one end, and to the cross-beamby the other, whereby the beam will be substantially counterbalanced, and another cable for manipulating the ,cross-beam and the counterweight to vertically adj ust the cross-beam. 5. A stage setting comprising a panel unit including a cross-beam, screens hung therelll() e carriage to move toward that end` ZIO Ixo

from,V a standard `secured "adjacent the grid n of thesta'ge and'extending"verticllyfto\re` ceive 'the cross-beam; a `counterweight 'mount` ed 'within the standardia cablesec'nred to the 5 ripper end' of the counterweight by one end,I and to the cross-beam by the other, whereby the beamA will be substantially counterbnl` anced, another cable formanipulating the cross-heartland the counter-weight to vertically adjust the cross-beam and means forautomically grippingfthe cro'ss-benmin 'a' de-V Y sired` vertical position as the cross-beamgand the halngngst ereon arelifted. l f-6 A `stage setting comprising a, panel unit including across-beam, screenshu'ngtherefrom,y a standardnrs'ecured adjacent fthefgrid offthe stage and extendingverticelly to receivethe cross-beam,a ccunterweight mounted within the standard, cable secured? to 2g theupper end'of the counterWeighby one" endl, `and to'fthe lcross-benin bybtlie other, whereby thefbeain will be substantially coun-A tebalaneed, another cable for manipulating the cross-beamy and the counterweghtto verl ticslly adjust'the cross-beamandneansfor automtically gripping v,the cross-beam inwa Y desired vertical position as the cross-bearnand thehangings thereon are lifted, and means for releasing said gripping device to permit the 'panel' unit to be lowered as it overcomes the weightof the connterweight. i f ARTHUR R. FREDERICKSA 

